St phane Mallarm (1842-98) claimed to have learned English in order to read Poe, an American poet greatly admired by the French Symbolists. This volume reproduces at full size the first-edition bilingual publication of Le Corbeau / The Raven (Richard Lesclide, Paris, 1875), Mallarm s prose translation of Poes melancholy poem, including six commissioned illustrations by douard Manet--four that visually interpret specific stanzas of the poem, one that serves as the ex-libris and a cover image of a ravens head that functions as the poems title. In addition, a new retranslation back into English of Mallarm s text, which was both praised and criticized for its literalism, reveals the particular tenor and subtleties of his reading of Poes verse and his feel, as a fellow poet, for the emotive and evocative power of language. The result is a circular exploration of the poem and its translation. The volume also reflects Mallarm s specifications for layout, typeface and paper.This is the second in a series exploring Mallarm in translation. The first, A Blow of Dice Never Will Abolish Chance, appeared in 2018; forthcoming is a translation of the second published collaboration between Mallarm and Manet, Afternoon of a Faun (Lapr s-midi dun faune).
